10 bold predictions for the 2023-2024 EYBL Scholastic

November 20, 2023 by Max Feldman

It's official — the EYBL Scholastic is set to tip off in 2023-24. The 12 rosters are stockpiled with elite national prospects to go with plenty of names set to breakout over the coming months. Here, I'll lay out my 10 bold predictions for the inaugural EYBL Scholastic campaign.

Brewster's Dwayne Aristode asserts himself as one of the country's elite prospects

Continuing to pump the gas on Dutch wing Dwayne Aristode, who is currently ranked 18th overall in the class of 2025 for us. From my first evaluation of Aristode in the FIBA U16 Euro Championships in 2022, I knew it was a matter of time before he popped on the national radar. Whether he stuck in Europe or came to the US prior was the question. Largely unknown nationally to this point, but I don't think it'll be too long till folks see why we, the lone platform with Aristode in the ranking (No. 18 overall in 2025), are so high on his long-term appeal. A 6-7 wing with fast twitch athleticism, legitimate shot-making ability both off the catch and off the pull, to go with a handle that's vastly progressed over the last two years. After originally evaluating Aristode with the Netherlands junior national team, I came away extremely bullish on his upside. Since, he's cleaned up key areas of his game and added strength while retaining the shot-making, fluid athleticism and defensive instincts. By the end of the season, I think he'll be squarely in the conversation as one of the 10 to 15 best 2025's in the country.

The gap between Montverde and the field is bigger than expected

Sunrise Christian (KS) made history last year becoming the first eight-seed to knock off the top seed in Montverde. Through the NIBC regular season, the Eagles were nothing short of dominant -- going 11-1 and carrying an average margin of victory of over 15 points. Now, the bulk of the core returns along with the additions of Rob Wright III, Caleb Gaskins and Kayden Allen among others. The rest of the league has certainly gotten better, but I think it's largely the improvement and progression within that's going to lift Montverde to a tier higher than the rest in the inaugural EYBL Scholastic. After a monster summer in the EYBL, Cooper Flagg now slides into more of a primary offensive role where decision-making duties will run through him at every possible opportunity. There have been rave reviews on the progression of Asa Newell, and I think the future Georgia Bulldog begins to align the pieces in a real way this season in terms of consistent impact. Pairing returner Curtis Givens with a true floor general and hounding defender like Rob Wright is a wonderful fit, and while they may not have the star-power of some other backcourts, they're going to bring boatloads of rim pressure and point of attack defense. I'd need a word limit if I broke down the rotation in it's entirety, but in all, I think the pieces on this year's MVA roster fit together extraordinarily well.

La Lu's Jalen Haralson introduces himself on a national scale

Harped on it before and will continue to — Haralson is arguably the nation’s best prospect that isn’t talked about nearly enough. His game may not cater to highlights the same way some others do, but on the national stage and alongside the most talented group of prospects he’s played, I think he takes off this season. It’s been nothing but glowing reviews, both on and off the court, since his arrival in LaPorte. A prime fit for both the Lakers and for Haralson — slotting into a Swiss Army knife type role where his very best games will be along the lines of 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.Surrounded by shooting and advantage creation, Haralson's role is going to be toggle through a myriad of responsibilities on either end while acting as the fulcrum of their offense. A premier decision-maker, constantly keeping the ball moving and manipulating defenses in all sorts of ways. A better shooter than the EYBL numbers reflect, and that should shine through as opposing programs gameplan for the Lakers. A patient, methodical offensive skillset that'll elevate to another level once hard closeouts are consistently sent his way. Positional size paired with strong intangibles and an extremely impressive basketball IQ, few taunt more potential down the line in my eyes. Long-term, I'm much more in on Haralson landing as a Top-4 prospect in the class than around 10 to 15.

Wasatch is the toughest group to gameplan for

Year in and year out, they tend to go under-discussed, but I love what Paul Peterson and company have done with the Wasatch roster in 2023-24. The Tigers bring back Top-10 junior Isiah Harwell and Top-100 senior Malick Diallo, but a trio of transfers from Vegas take this roster to another level. Juni Mobley, Chris Nwuli and Taj DeGourville come in with chemistry already in place and style's of play that should thoroughly complement the pieces in place. The offensive scheme should center around Mobley's shooting gravity and ability to create in ball screens. Adjacent, you have two hyper-processors in Harwell and DeGourville who boast high level feel as cutters to go with pass, dribble, shoot ability. In the middle, they roll out of a pair of erasers and event creators in Nwuli and Diallo -- both of which play extremely hard, cover ground in a hurry and are unafraid to play through contact. Assuming health, this group is going to be an absolute handful to gameplan for. Depth might be the push-back, but their top five fit together seamlessly. There's going to be a clear character and identity to this group from the jump.

Miikka Muurinen dazzles

Similar to Aristode mentioned above, I'll continue to push the gas on another fellow FIBA U16 breakout now stateside in Sunrise Christian's Miikka Muurinen. The Finnish national is ranked inside our Top-25 of 2026 and already holds offers from the likes of UCLA, Illinois, Alabama, Utah, Texas Tech and more. The 6-9 wing is far from a finished product, and I do expect some up and down output throughout the season as he adjusts, but the flashes are going to be loud. The handle, fluidity and off the dribble shooting popped in a big way in U16 play this summer, and while efficiency wasn't a massive strength, there's an excess of tools and skill to build on. We may have more sample size than the rest, but it'd be no surprise to see Muurinen move into the Top-10 of 2026 by the season's end.